Review: Standard Disney Dining Plan

Disney offers 3 different types of dining plans, Quick Service, Standard Dining Plan, and Deluxe Dining Plan.  This is a review of the Standard Dining Plan.

The Standard Disney Dining Plan includes:

• Per Night each person receives
• 1 Quick Service meal
• 1 Table Service meal 
• 2 Snacks per person
• Per your stay each person receives
• 1 refillable mug

A couple things worth noting when you have a child (9 or under) on the plan they have to order off the kids menu at table service restaurants.  This will have a relatively mild impact on your planning especially if  you have a child that wants to meet characters as those meals are generally a high priced buffet or family style option anyway.  Children (9 or under) on the plan can order anything at Quick service locations.  In other words Disney lumps all your Quick Service credits together to use as you see fit.

So for this review I will give you an idea of how we used our credits and also what those credits included. 

• 2 Adults and 1 child (4 years old) for 7 nights
• 3 refillable mugs 
• 14 Adult Table Service credits
• 7 Child Table Service credits
• 21 Quick Service credits
• 42 snack credits

How did we use those credits?  Mostly character meal dinners or "experience" meals so that adds to the cost, there is no cheap way to eat at Chef Mickey so that make the dining plan a better option for those meals vs other menu order table service options.  First we will look at what were our table service meals.

• Garden Grill Dinner
• Whispering Canyon Dinner
• Tusker House Dinner
• 50's Prime Time Dinner
• Coral Reef  Dinner
• Hollywood and Vine Dinner
• Chef Mickey Brunch

We had planned to have a guest with us at Chef Mickey so I set aside a Table service credit to use at that meal.  I decided that at 50's Prime Time my husband would order the sampler, and a milkshake and a dessert, I would order the wedge salad appetizer and a iced tea.  We swapped the milkshake for the tea and I had the meatloaf from the sample with my salad.  That meal ended up with terrible service issues and they comped the drink (and my daughter ended up with a giant cup of sprinkles to take home since she fell asleep waiting on her ice cream with mickey sprinkles) so it was $9.10 out of pocket there.  Ended up that our guest did not make it to Chef Mickey so we used the credit for last minute snacks which was not a good value however I it made much more sense to pay $9 for a meal than $45 brunch buffet.  We really enjoyed Garden Grill and Whispering Canyon and our family is not a big fan of buffets so those meals were just ok.  We had a long slow meal at 50's and probably would have felt better about that meal if we had not overheard the tables around us discussing getting an anytime fastpass because of their issues.  However, we did not get charged for a drink and my daughters upgrade to a sundae, but like I said she never took a bite of the ice cream because she fell asleep, that also the reason we were so patient because she needed the nap and we had a comfy place to sit while she slept.

Now for the quick service credits, remember we had a toddler with adult credits.  Also our toddler is more likely to nibble off our plates rather than eat a full meal.

• Breakfast - Be Our Guest - 2
• Lunch - Pecos Bills - 1
• Lunch - Santuli Canteen - 1
• Lunch - Back lot - 1
• Lunch - Be Our Guest - 3
• Lunch - Wolfgang - 3
• Breakfast - Pop Century  - 1 
• Dinner - Liberty Tree Tavern - 2
• Breakfast - Art of Animation - 2

So you can see that a lot of the time we just split a larger portion meal like the fajitas at Pecos Bill or the chicken and beef salad at Santuli Canteen.  Even at breakfast we could split a bounty platter or at Be Our Guest we could easily share with our toddler.  I do wish we would have picked up a few more quick service meals to at least try a few more places.  Our surprise best meal was at Liberty Tree Tavern in the American Pavilion at Epcot.  That was a selection my husband made looking through the app while we waited at Character Spot.  I got the Cobb salad and he got a Crispy Chicken sandwich and we got a cupcake to split.  When we finished my husband said "I could eat that meal again right now it was so good".  That night we realized that the kids meals had our daughter's favorite drinkable yogurt in them and I think looking back I would have ordered her a few kids meals here and there to get some kid friendly items just on our trays since we had extra credits anyway.

Next to discuss snacks, our trip before this one I found us using snack credits on things we wanted but that were not a good value use of a credit.  We used all of our snack credits through out our trip and I even paid out of pocket for a cupcake to take with us on the way out.  What I did this time was I purchased $35 worth of snacks from Amazon Prime Now.  That included 12 bottles of water, a pack of bagels, bananas, strawberries, grapes and similar items.  I also brought granola bars and fruit snacks in our luggage.  So I was able to utilize our snacks for much better value items but I had a ton to use at the end of the trip.  I used 20 snack credits at Goofy's candy company in Disney Springs which was fun and made for a good value as the check out price was over $110.  

Even doing that we still had 5 Quick Service and 1 Table Service credit we had to convert to snacks.  We used our snacks to create a better buffer between our meals we would get a snack at 10-11 am then we could eat lunch at 2pm.  This was good and bad for our toddler she would share the snack, say a pretzel or the mac and cheese (at AK Smiling Crocodile) and last a little longer then be asleep before we sat down for lunch.  That was part of the reason we had left over Quick service credits because had she been awake I would have been more likely to purchase a second meal but with her asleep we would share one and pick up something small or she would have a granola bar after her nap. Then she would last until our early dinner ADR usually between 4:30-5:30 pm.

The refillable mugs are a blessing and a curse, by that I mean having unlimited beverages are great but the refillable mugs leak and get cumbersome if you take them to the parks with you and don't actually hold that much.  So here is how I handle them.  I brought refillable water bottles to take with us in the parks.  I would take our three mugs and our two water bottles with me in the morning I would make fresh brewed sweet tea for my husband (because he hated the fountain sweet tea).  He ended up with a water bottle full of sweet tea and I had my bottle with unsweetened tea that we would take with us each morning and a bottle of water.  That easily lasted until lunch and we would refill our water bottles at lunch if we could.  So we really limited what we had to purchase as far as drinks by being a little more prepared.

Here is what the numbers ended up looking like.

• 2 Adults and 1 child (4 years old) for 7 nights
• 3 refillable mugs - $60.68
• 13 Adult Table Service credits & 7 Child Table Service credits - $829.36
• 16 Quick Service credits - $290.94
• 5 Quick Service credits converted to 15 snacks - $66.85
• 1 Adult Table Service credits converted to 3 snacks - $15.00
• 42 snack credits - $220.78

• Was it worth it?
• The plan cost $1,237.11
• Cost of the items we purchase $1,483.61
• Value? We saved $246.50

Could that number have been more?  Yes it could have been, it also could have been less.  With any Disney Dining Plan  you can not leave credits unused, when you do Disney wins.  Also, the dining plans now include a "specialty" beverage that can include alcohol, we don't drink alcohol so we can't tell you much other than if you do you will save more because alcohol at Disney is expensive.  Ask your server what is included and sometimes you can get the "fancy alcohol" drinks without the alcohol but still with the light up glow cube.  

In full disclosure, we got the quick service dining free with a free dining discount and paid to upgrade to the standard dining plan.  I really think this is the plan that we will use more regularly moving forward.

Review: Disney World - Tony's Town Square

We had dinner with a group of 3 (including one 3 year old).  The food was pretty average to below average.  We had a calamari appetizer and it was chewy and ended up being left mostly untouched by our family. 

Our waitress was very kind and we discussed if the kids Ariel cup was considered a specialty beverage and she said there was discussion last week that it was but if its not she would not charge us.  She confirmed it was not considered a specialty beverage but did not charge us so my daughter was a happy camper.  She also suggested we get our daughter an adult appetizer because my husband and I both wanted a salad bur wanted to try the calamari.  She even reminded us that we could order my daughter an adult meal (since we were on the deluxe dining plan) but she was happy with the kids pizza.

We have been to Tony's a couple time before and really enjoyed our meals. However, this meal was not worth the price at all and I would have been even more disappointed if I had paid out of pocket because the check was one of the most expensive of our trip.  So, I have to agree with the reviews of hit or miss with this place. 

Not a specialty drink

Value of Deluxe Dining Plan 2018

We are back from our January 2018 Disney trip.  We added the Deluxe Dining Plan to our trip because the math worked for us.  You can see the pre trip numbers here.

Our meal schedule was heavy in the character meals as it was our 3 year old's first trip.  My mother-in-law joined us in the parks for 3 of our days, that is really where our value was added by having deluxe dining.  She used 6 of our credits, without her there those credits would have had much less value.  Generally speaking we would have used those credits but probably more as a shareable lunch at a quick service instead of a full table service meal. So those 6 credits would have gone from a $35-49 value down to $20-25.  We would have still saved some money, so its still good to do the math.

Big things to remember when thinking about the difference of the deluxe dining plan and the quick or standard plan is that deluxe included an appetizer and desert for table service meals.  Our 3 year old also was not required to eat off the kids menu (I think that is not the case for standard dining plan table service).  Only 3 of our meals were not buffets the first one I did not realize that she could order a standard meal/appetizer, the second we ordered her an adult appetizer (after the waitress suggested it) but a kids meal and the third (Be Our Guest) I did not order her a meal she shared with us.  It's my understanding that for quick service the meals are all grouped together and kids are not required to order kids meals so that makes for much better value.  I would recommend knowing where the best shareable quick service locations are to maximize your value.  We used one of our credits at Flame Tree BBQ and shared it between 4 people (toddler included) because we got the chicken, ribs, and pulled pork combo.

I will admit that I did not maximize our snack credits  because I had just intended to use them instead of spending any money on snacks.  Looking back I wish I would have gotten water to take into the parks as I bought several bottles of smart water, at $4.5 a bottle its a good value but if I would bought it before hand at $1.50 a bottle it would have freed up several snack credits.  Even if I only had a bottle a day to start our day with it would have given us 5 extra snack credits.  I only purchased one cupcake out of pocket when we were leaving the hotel so our credits really covered our needs just not anything extra to take home.  I also wish I would have had a better plan to have a grab and go breakfast in our room for my husband.  A bag of bagels would have saved us a lot of stress.  I had planned several late breakfasts so that we could ride stuff first then head to breakfast on those days we really needed something to take with us for he and my daughter to eat at the bus stop or walking through the park.

As I look back the best advice I can give you is check the numbers based on what you would order at each location you want to visit.  If you plan to have two rooms really check the value of one room with deluxe dining and one room with a different plan until you find a combo that will benefit you.  Be creative if you planned on having two rooms one with 2 adults and one with 2 adults and 1 child it might make more sense to have 3 adults and 1 child on the deluxe plan and the other adult on no plan.  You have to be careful because this affects your room entry but if your all going to be together or if  your rooms are adjoining keep the door open and it wont matter.  When doing the math it always makes more sense for kids to be on the deluxe plan rather than an adult.  My sister and I have discussed this option and really think the next time we visit it will be the way to save money.  What you need to do when you plan ahead is to be sure that the standard dining plan is used for buffet meals and the deluxe is used where at non buffet table service options.  You also need to be sure that you plan if you all wont be dining together that someone has meals on their account to use.  I would also have a written plan of what room will pay for which meals so that you don't have to think about it once your there.

Day 1:
Hollywood and Vine (Fantasmic Package) - 3 credits
Sci-Fi Drive In - 3 credits

Day 2:
Crystal Palace - 3 credits
Tony's Town Square - 3 credits

Day 3:
Akershus - 4 credits
Garden Grill - 4 credits

Day 4:
Be Our Guest - 3 credits
Cinderella's Royal Table - 8 credits

Day 5:
Tucker House - 4 credits
Flame Tree BBQ - 1 credit

Out of pocket	$1,339.86
Deluxe Dining	$1,090.00
Refillable Mugs (3)	$53.97
Snacks ($4.50 each)	$96.00
Total Value	$399.83

3 Adults and 1 Child

Deluxe Disney Dining Plan - Actual Cost comparison

Ok so I just planned our dining for an upcoming trip in 2018, family of 3.  We are not drinkers so I never even looked at the drink prices but for a 4 night 5 day stay the difference for paying out of pocket and the deluxe dining plan was going to be $165 more than oop.  Then I calculated the refillable mugs and snacks to be a $150 value, and we would have 7 additional dining credits to utilize while onsite (we will have some others joining us for some of the time so we can pay for a meal and utilize the credits).  If we utilize 5 of those credits at whispering canyon like we are currently considering that meal will be about $237.  Now that is a majority of character meals, but my point is just do the math.  Pick where you want to eat then check the price comparison at that point don't try to justify eating more than you would just because its a better value justify with actual numbers for me I also like its already paid for so there is less stress when we are at the parks.

Out of pocket	$924.80
Deluxe Dining	$1,090.00
Difference	$165.20
Refillable Mugs (3)	$53.97
Snacks ($4 each)	$96.00
Extra Credits Value (7)	$245.00
Total Value	$394.97

3 Adults and 1 Child

Carriage Ride at Fort Wilderness

My husband and I took trip to Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary December 2014.  We did several "horsey" things and I am going to review them over the next several posts.

Check out the first post here.
This is the second post: Carriage Rides

We actually did the Holiday Sleigh Ride at 9 pm at Fort Wilderness.  We had dinner at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at 6:15 pm.  There was about an 45 min gap between the time the show was over and the start of our sleigh ride, so we walked around the general area and visited the gift shop and just enjoyed the quiet of the evening.  Be aware that we went in December and it things were closing as we were waiting to walk around.  If I remember correctly I think we had to wait a little longer than we thought.  The ride was nice it was cool but there was a blanket in the sleigh so it was comfortable.  We had a ride that was timed to be during the fireworks so we were able to see some of the higher fireworks over the trees but was not a great view.

The campground was all decorated up for Christmas and it was surprising how many RVs had major holiday decorations set up.  Our driver said it gets even more festive the closer you get to Christmas. The ride was a nice quite trot around the campgrounds, it was odd to be passed by some of the large buses but the horse was comfortable and the driver well trained, so it felt very safe.  This was the end of a long day and quite a romantic ride so we really just enjoyed the ride.  I only have one picture that I have found and for some reason the driver did not realize we would like to have the horse in the picture too.

Holiday Sleigh Ride

The driver indicated that the horses are the same horses that pull the trolley down main street and they all just rotate around and have days off like other cast members.  Generally the "horsey" staff seem very broad in their job duties as our driver had just helped bathe and groom Cinderella's ponies for the parade earlier that day.  He indicated that they started getting them ready at about 3 pm for the evening parade.

On a side note this reservation is paid at the time it is booked so be aware that it will hit your credit card as soon as it is processed.  There is a sign on the sleigh that tipping is not permitted, however, I always tip my sleigh/carriage drive when I do this type of thing so I tipped him as I would anywhere else I take a carriage ride.

Horseback Riding at Fort Wilderness Review

My husband and I took trip to Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary December 2014.  We did several "horsey" things and I am going to review them over the next several posts.

First is Horseback riding at Tri-Circle-D Ranch
Check out the second post here (Carriage Ride at Fort Wilderness).

We ate at Crystal Palace at 9:55 am then spent a little bit of time in the park.  We had a reservation for the 1:30 pm ride (and were asked to arrive 30 min ahead of time).  We left Magic Kingdom at noon with the plan to take a boat to Fort Wilderness then the bus to the check-in station.  This was not the right choice, it took an hour and a half to make this trip.  We actually saw our ride departing as our bus pulled past the stables.  Not to worry Disney understands how this happens, probably much better than we do as visitors.

This is how Disney handled the situation, the check-in Cast Member called my cell phone while we were traveling to the check-in station.  I did not see the call until we were almost to the check-in.  The cast member told me at check-in it she had called to see if we needed assistance in finding the location or determining how to use transportation to get to the check-in area.  When we were late she just bumped us to the 2:30 ride without issue or financial penalties (before we even spoke with her).  Knowing this now, I would recommend not scheduling to do the last ride of the day in-case you have issues getting to the corral.  We did have to wait a while but it was fine, we took the time to get something to drink use the restrooms and watch the horses in the corrals.  There were picnic tables there to sit while we waited.

Picnic Tables in the waiting area

How we should have gotten to the check-in location, since the check-in location is at first bus stop for Fort Wilderness we should have taken the bus from Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness.  I am sure it would have been quicker.  Also check your phone periodically when you are trying to make it to a reservation and are behind, Disney wants to help you.

Once we checked in and it was closer to the time to ride we put our stuff in a free locker by the corral.  It's pretty small so just be aware of that, but there were multiple lockers so we could have used a couple if needed. They do not allow cameras to be used while riding.  They did take some pictures for use before the ride and I got some of my husband as he was on his horse before me. They utilize a very safe mounting area where the horses are lead up to a fairly high platform, the rider walks up about 3-4 stairs.  Then the rider just puts their foot in the stirrup and swings his/her leg a crossed, very safe for the horse and the rider.  Everyone in our group had helmets on, I can't remember if that is a requirement or a choice, as I never ride without a helmet and would encourage everyone to do the same.  There were maybe 4 other riders and 2 guides.

They will tell you more about the horse you are riding if you ask. My husband was lucky enough to ride the horse that plays Maximus.  Maximus had participated in a photo shoot earlier in the morning to be used during the Christmas parade on TV. Maximus has to start getting prepped for the shoot at 4 am that morning so he was still very white and super soft.  Don't worry, the horses have set work schedules like other cast members and they get days off,  I think they got about 2-3 days off a week.

The ride was a nice 45 min walk.  We saw some deer on the ride.  It a nice flat sandy trail that you ride.  The one thing I did not like was being told not to let the horses eat stuff along the trail, why is that so bad you ask?  Well the main reason is an invasive poisonous plant that can cause the horses to colic.  The guides indicated that they routinely trim the plants back away from the trail but having a horse that is colic prone at home, it was not relaxing trying to avoid a plant you did not know what looked like.  I think Disney might want to have a sign created with some images to help people know what the plant looks like.

When we got back to the corral we tipped our guide, like we would at any trail ride, patted our horses good bye gathered our things out of the lockers and headed by bus to the barn area near the boat dock, more on that in the another post.

Maximus

Thinking of the next trip

Sorry for the huge gap in articles but after our last trip to Disney, my husband and I found out we were going to have a daughter. Long story short she decided to come 6 weeks early after a long time in the hospital on bed rest.

So now we are looking ahead to her first trip to Disney and our first trip with a toddler.  Since the only break in pricing that you will ever get is by taking a child under 3 that's our plan.  She changed our September trip to a May trip with her early arrival as I will never go to Disney in the summer.  I can't handle the heat or the crowds.

Children under 3 don't need a ticket, don't count toward the number of guests in your room, and eat off your plate at buffets.  The ticket savings is a huge one as children's tickets are only a few dollars less than adult tickets and tickets are one of the largests expenses while at Disney.  I have already been asked the question why so early... She won't even remember.  Well we will remember and she will have the pictures and video to enjoy later.  We also know we will go back eventually so this will not be her only Disney trip.  

So, now I have been looking at how to have some balance with this trip as we will also be taking my other daughter who will be graduating college the same month.  We will most likely head to Disney shortly after her graduation.  I realized on my last trip that a break day would make things more enjoyable, so I am looking to work that into our plans.  Our last trip we used the deluxe dinning plan (DDP) and determined that we only saved about $110 dollars which could have been done by my husband and I splitting and apitizer and dessert instead of getting two each meal.  Seeing as so much food was wasted I think I would feel better about it anyway.  However, my older daughter thinks DDP is the way to go as the idea of order anything is not the norm for us and she is a bit of a foodie and loves the variety at Disney.   Honestly, I will just be doing the math ahead of time and decide later what the best value is for our family.  If free dining is available or not that will add into the decision.

So I look foward to sharing what I learn about toddler trips and plan to write some dining reviews in the near future.

Putting it all together

As you count down to your trip date its time to get everything together.

• Pack your suitcase
• Don't wait until the last minute as you might need to stop at the store and pick up some last minute items.
• Pack your park backpack
• Limit what you plan to carry everyday
• Get your mousekeeping envelopes ready
• Get your tipping envelopes ready
• Don't forget your nonstandard staff (tour guides, carriage drivers, baggage handlers)
• Finish your planning binder
• ICE sheet
• Card numbers and 1-800 numbers for lost or stolen
• Have your driving route planned
• Reconfirm your hotel reservations 
• Snacks or dining locations
• Get your vehicle an oil change and check up
• Reevaluate your cost budgets
• Make final plans with your housesitter

Countdown Time

So time is starting to get to a point where I need to decide how I am going to keep a count down process.  My husband agreed to a 60 day countdown process.  I am trying to determine what to use.

I am finally moving out of the triple digit countdown on my phone and log in daily to My Disney Experience to watch the countdown there.

What do you use to countdown your trip?  Let me know if the comments below.

Disney Horses

So my husband and I are horsey people and are looking forward to enjoying all the Disney horses.  Since it seems that there are lots of others looking for the same types of experiences I am going to start gathering a list of info of how to incorporate horses into your Disney World vacation.

• Trail riding - Pony Rides
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/tri-circle-d-ranch/
• This is the one that most appeals to us.  Its a 45 min trail ride through the Fort Wilderness area (no exactly sure of where it takes you).  Some of horses used in the trail rides are also some of the horses used by the princesses in the parades.  I saw some post about the trail guides telling riders which princess normally rides the horses in the parades.  Additionally I saw some pictures of Cinderellas's White ponies being used for pony rides.  So the horses server multiple roles (which is common with working horses).  Some of the carriage horses are also ridden in the trail rides.  I would love to ride Maximus or Merida's horse.  We'll have to wait and see how this works out.
• Restrictions: Reservations are recommended, and closed-toe shoes are required. Riders must be over 48 inches tall and weigh under 250 pounds. 
• Cost: $46/45 min
• Times: 8:30 am, 10 am, 11:30 pm, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm (this was what I found, call to confirm)
• Location: Check-in is located at the entrance of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Carriage Rides and Sleigh Ridge
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/carriage-rides/
• Restrictions: 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 kids 
• Reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 180 days in advance
• Cost:$45 or $60 per carriage / 25 min
• Times: 5:30PM, 6:00PM,6:30PM, 7:00PM, 7:30PM, 9:00PM,9:30PM, 10:00PM (this was what I found, call to confirm)
• Location:Ride through the lush pine and cypress trees of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, or travel along the charming pathways of Port Orleans — Riverside and the banks of the Sassagoula River.
• Wagon Rides
• I am hopping to be able to fit this in as some point as it takes you through the campgrounds and we will be visiting during the Christmas holiday and hear that the campsites will be decorated and that would be neat to experience.
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/tri-circle-d-ranch/
• Cost: $5 or $8/45 min
• Times: 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM 
• Location: Depart from in front of Pioneer Hall
• Main Street Vehicles
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/main-street-vehicles/
• Cost: Park ticket
• Times: 9:00AM to 10:15AM
• Location: Main Street - Magic Kingdom
• Visiting Tri Circle D Ranch Area
• https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/tri-circle-d-ranch/
• Cost: Free
• Times: 7:00AM to 8:23PM
• Location: Fort Wilderness Area

Travel Time Adventure

Put 4 adults in a car for 13-14 hours and what do you get?  Tired, bored and cranky?  Maybe but let's try to prevent that from happening.

Everyone has seen the kid type bucket of stuff for the car or bucket of presents.  So lets take that concept and grow it up.

That being said here is my idea, every hour open a wrapped package.  That package can have anything from  snacks, to games, to maybe a movie or audio book.  What would that look like in list form?

This:

1 hour in (8am): Something to drink
2 hour in (9am): Snack
3 hour in (10am): Game
4 hour in (11am): Audio Book
5 hour in (12pm): Permission to stop for Lunch
6 hour in (1pm): Something to drink
7 hour in (2pm): Game
8 hour in (3pm): Audio Book
9 hour in (4pm): Snack
10 hour in (5pm): Permission to stop for Dinner
11 hour in (6pm): Something to drink
12 hour in (7pm): Game
13 hour in (8pm): CAFFINE
14 hour in (9pm): Snack

Disney Travel Agent

OK, so I had to break down and get connected to a travel agent, since my ADRs open on the same day my daughter has college orientation.  So I will be mostly unavailable for the day (especially when the phone lines open up).

The task has several 8 am reservations and Be our guest for dinner, Le Cellier but since the lunch went to 2 credits and fixed pricing all day as well I figure that whole market will have changed.

I have to let her do her job and if she gets them all she will be my Disney hero, and I will tell you all who she is, if not I will remain quiet.

She has already told me some things I did not know and I have been researching for the past 300 days and then had 2 previous trips with plenty of planning.  So we are off to a good start.

I had made my own initial reservation, was able to include Photopass+, Mickeys Christmas party tickets, and insurance.  Note that when I called in the deposit was only $200 vs the higher amount that the website was looking for (I think it wanted about 10%)

Planning is a lot of work and actually booking all those ADRs is even more work, so I am kind of glad to get out of that job.

Touring Plans Info

I just purchased my Touring Plans membership for the year for under $10.  I do believe that will be the best $10 I send in preparation for my next trip.

If you have not heard about Touring plans check them out here.  The customized plans are really nifty.  If you want to follow their plan great if not then you can build one yourself.  I figured I knew what I was doing to I just started playing with one and I love the idea. It automatically knew that the day I was working on was a special event day (usually as the dates are not out yet) so I can adjust my plan to incorporate that info if I choose.  I was using a crowd calendar to pick days but once I do that I can put those choices into the plan and see if it will actually work.

I am going to be working on what park, what days, what restaurants, and what activities this weekend and this tool will really help in that process.  Even better is they have an app for your phone so you can check things off as you do them.

I am hoping it will let you see list later as a record of what you did and what you skipped.

So I will definitely have more info about this later as well so check back.

Have you used touring plans?  If so, let me know you opinion in the comments.

My Trip planning

So, it is getting close to time that I need to start making some real plans.  I am about 100 days out from ADR date so I have to plan my trip specifics over the next couple months and then book with Disney.

I am still having a hard time deciding if deluxe dining is for our group or not.  Then I am trying to determine if Art of Animation Little Mermaid or Pop Century is the way to go.  Then in the back of my mind I am also trying to have a plan for any upgrades and the estimated cost associated with them (weather or not it will be worth it or not).

Big part of decision making process revolves around a couple things:

• Specific dates
• How far can we drive before we need to stop?
• What is the cost if we stay offsite the first night/last night are the savings worth it?

Right now I think the best thing for us will be to drive as close to Disney as we can, then stay offsite maybe about an hour out or so.  I am planning on finding some place for under $90 that has continental breakfast, pool, and hot tub (at my husbands suggestion to help us recover from 13 hours in the car).  It looks like there are going to be some options on I-4 around 30-50 mins from Disney.

Disney Details

We also will be making the drive back at more of a reasonable pace and stopping somewhere about half way through the drive.  For the last day of our trip I still think that splitting our reservation so that the last night does not include dinning or tickets will be the most economical.

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

I am super excited!  I just got my Birnbaums Guide to Walt Disney World 2013 "The Official Guide."  I did a quick glance at the Fantasyland section and the The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train states by very late 2013 or early 2014.  Wouldn't that be awesome if it was ready for December 2013 that would be great for my planning however might mess with the crowds...  oh, well that would be worth a little extra last minute planning.

Buy it on Amazon for yourself!